Static balancing apparatus



Jan. 24, 1967 R. E. SHIPMAN 3,299,715

STATIC BALANCING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 12, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Jan. 24, 1967 R. E. SHIPMAN 3,299,715

STATIC BALANCING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 12, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Raldo E. Shipmon ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,299,715 STATIC BALANCING APPARATUS Raldo E. Shipmau, Sunbury, Pa., assignor to Forgflo Corporation, Sunbury, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Sept. 12, 1963, Ser. No. 308,549 6 (llaims. (Cl. 73-480) This invention relates to static balancing apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus of this character in which the mass to be balanced is rotatably supported on fluid bearings, whereby frictional drag is in large measure eliminated.

An object of the invention is to devise an improved fluid bearing construction in which the fluid film is introduced between fixed and rotatable members having matched spherical surfaces.

Another object is to provide static balancing apparatus comprising two such aligned, coaxial fluid bearings which may be adjusted to different distances apart, so as to readily receive masses to be balanced of widely varying lengths.

A still further object of the invention is to provide static balancing apparatus comprising a pair of spaced fluid bearings so constructed as to be able to accommodate masses to be balanced mounted on various sized shafts.

With the above and other objects in view, and to improve generally on the details of such apparatus, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the complete apparatus, parts being broken away;

FIG. 2 is a transverse section substantially on the line 22, of FIG. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section substantially on the line 33 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one of the split adapter bushings which I employ.

Referring to the drawings in detail, my improved apparatus comprises a base 1 on which are mounted a pair of supports, each consisting of an upper section 2, superposed on a lower section 3. The sections are held together by long machine bolts 4 (see FIG. 2).

Each support has at its upper end a concave seat formed with a spherical inner surface 5. Resting in this seat is a rotatable member 6, having a peripheral surface in the form of a spherical zone, symmetrically disposed about a central transverse plane, said spherical zone matching the spherical inner surface of the seat 5.

Formed in the bottom of the seat 5, and extending longitudinally thereof in a median plane is a groove 7, and communicating with this groove is a radial passage 8, extending through the support section 2. A passage 9 in the section 3 forms a continuation of the passage 8, and then extends laterally, as indicated at 10, to a socket 11, adapted to receive a hose fitting supplying fluid under pressure. The fluid usually employed is air. Thus, this air enters the groove 7 by which it is distributed along the length of the seat, and forms a film between the two matching spherical surfaces. This constitutes an air bearing which enables the rotatable member to turn with a minimum of frictional drag.

It will be noted that the seat 5 is less than 180 in length, as viewed in FIG. 2, so that the rotatable member 6 may be freely lifted out of or lowered into the same.

Referring now more particularly to FIG. 3, it will be seen that each of the rotatable members 6 has a relatively large central opening 12, and that a circular mounting plate 13 closes the outer end of this opening, being secured to the outside of the member by means of machine bolts 14. This mounting plate is provided on its outer face with a central axially extending flange or hub 15, the inner diameter of which is preferably smaller than the opening 12. Any desired one of a series of interchangeable adapter bushings 16, having different internal diameters, may be inserted in the hub 15, and secured by set screws 17. These bushings are split longitudinally as indicated at 16 in FIG. 4.

The mass to be balanced is indicated at X, and usually has at each end a shaft Y. A selected bushing 16, having the correct internal diameter, is forced over each of the shafts Y with a tight, friction fit, and then these bushings are inserted in the hubs of the mounting plates 13, so that the two shafts are supported by the two rotatable members 6.

In order to accommodate masses of different lengths, the supports 2, 3 are adjustably mounted on the base 1 so that they may be spaced at any desired distance apart. To this end, the base is formed on its upper surface with a central, longitudinally extending groove 18, and carried by the bottom of each support is a block 19, constructed to slide in said groove. Furthermore, the base is provided on both sides of said groove with a series of threaded openings 20.

Each support is provided at each side with a flange 3a, and extending through these flanges are bolts 21, adapted to engage in any selected ones of the openings 20, to securely hold the supports in adjusted position.

A spirit level 22 is preferably mounted on the base 1, to indicate when the apparatus is substantially level.

What I claim is:

1. Static balancing apparatus comprising a pair of horizontally spaced supports, each support having at its upper end a concave seat formed with a spherical inner surface, a rotatable member associated with each concave seat, said member having a peripheral surface in the form of a spherical zone symmetrically disposed about a central transverse plane, said spherical zone matching and resting directly on the spherical inner surface of said seat throughout its entire area, said rotatable members being mounted to rotate about a common axis, means concentrically carried by said rotatable members for fixedly receiving the ends of a shaft extending between said members and on which the mass to be balanced is mounted, and means for introducing a film of air under pressure between each of said pairs of matching spherical surfaces, thus providing fluid bearings in which said rotatable members may turn.

2. Static balancing apparatus according to claim 1, in which the common axis of said rotatable members is horizontal in which the inner spherical surface of said concave seat extends through less than and in which there is no part overlying said rotatable members whereby said rotatable members may be freely moved vertically int-o and out of engagement with said seats.

3. Static balancing apparatus according to claim 1 in which the means for introducing fluid under pressure between said matching spherical surfaces includes a longitudinally extending groove formed in the spherical inner surface of said concave seat and lying approximately in said central transverse plane, said groove being substantially closed at its ends, said support having a fluid supplying passage extending radially of said groove and communicating therewith.

4. Static balancing apparatus according to claim 1 in which said supports are mounted on a base member, and means are provided whereby said supports may be ad justed on said base toward and from each other.

5. Static balancing apparatus according to claim 4, in

which the said base is provided on its upper surface with a groove, and said supports are each provided with a block slidably engaging said groove, and in which means independent of said blocks are provided for anchoring said supports in any desired position lengthwise of said groove.

6. Static balancing apparatus comprising a pair of spaced supports, a rotatable member carried by each support, said members being rotatable about a common horizontal axis, each of said members having a relatively large central opening, a mounting plate secured to the outer side of each of said members, said mounting plates each having a central opening in alignment with but somewhat smaller than the openings in said rotatable members, and interchangeable adapter bushings adapted to be secured in the central openings of said mounting plates, whereby, by selecting the proper bushings, various sized shafts, carrying the mass to be balanced, may be supported in the same mounting plates.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,009,323 11/1911 Lincoln et a1. 73477 1,292,280 1/1919 Ekstrom 73480 1,437,798 12/1922 Flanders 73477 1,486,115 3/1924 Allen '73--475 X 2,087,534 7/1937 Couffignal 73477 2,981,572 4/1961 Kuhne 3089 2,998,999 9/1961 Morser et a1 308122 3,016,273 1/1962 Benoit.

RICHARD C. QUEISSER, Primary Examiner.

JAMES J. GILL, Examiner. 

1. STATIC BALANCING APPARATUS COMPRISING A PAIR OF HORIZONTALLY SPACED SUPPORTS, EACH SUPPORT HAVING AT ITS UPPER END A CONCAVE SEAT FORMED WITH A SPHERICAL INNER SURFACE, A ROTATABLE MEMBER ASSOCIATED WITH EACH CONCAVE SEAT, SAID MEMBER HAVING A PERIPHERAL SURFACE IN THE FORM OF A SPHERICAL ZONE SYMMETRICALLY DISPOSED ABOUT A CENTRAL TRANSVERSE PLANE, SAID SPHERICAL ZONE MATCHING AND RESTING DIRECTLY ON THE SPHERICAL INNER SURFACE OF SAID SEAT THROUGHOUT ITS ENTIRE AREA, SAID ROTATABLE MEMBERS BEING MOUNTED TO ROTATE ABOUT A COMMON AXIS, MEANS CONCENTRICALLY CARRIED BY SAID ROTATABLE MEMBERS FOR FIXEDLY RECEIVING THE ENDS OF A SHAFT EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID MEMBERS AND ON WHICH THE MASS TO BE BALANCED IS MOUNTED, AND MEANS FOR INTRODUCING A FILM OF AIR UNDER PRESSURE BETWEEN EACH OF SAID PAIRS OF MATCHING SPHERICAL SURFACES, THUS PROVIDING FLUID BEARINGS IN WHICH SAID ROTATABLE MEMBERS MAY TURN. 